Couch-hammock and convertible end and back-rest therefor.



I. E. PALMER.

COUCH HAMMOOK AND CONVERTIBLE END AND BACK REST THEREFOR.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 6, 1912.

1,096,450. Patented May 12, 1914.

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COLUMBIA PLANnuRAPH CO-.WASHINOTON. D. C.

TED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ISAAC E. PALMER, OF MIDDLETOWN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE I. E.PALMER 00., OF MIDDLETOWN, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION OF CONNECTICUT.

COUCH-HAMMOCK AND CONVERTIBLE END AND BACK-REST THEREFOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 12, 1914.

Continuation in part of application Serial No. 721,765, filed September23, 1912. This application filed November 6, 1912. Serial No. 729,792.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Isaac E. PALMER, a citizen of the United States, anda resident of Middletown, in the county of Middlcsex and State ofConnecticut, have invented an Improvement in Couch-Hammocks andConvertible Ends and Back-Rests Therefor, of which the followingdescription, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is aspecification, like characters on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention relates to couch hammocks and convertible ends and backrests therefor.

This application is a continuation of and is in part a division of myco-pending application Serial No. 7 21,7 05, filed September 23, 1912.

In order that the principle of the invention may be readily understood,I have disclosed a single embodiment thereof in the accompanyingdrawing, wherein Figure 1 is a side elevation of a portion of the couchhammock having my invention applied thereto; Fig. 2 is a front elevationof the construction shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2of a slightly modified form of the invention; and Figs. 1 and 5 arerespectively a side elevation and a front elevation of still anotherform of the invention.

In accordance with my invention, I provide a couch hammock with rope orchainlike suspension members at the corners thereof and at one or bothends provide a convertible end and back rest having means for connectingthe same at its upper portion with the suspension members at the end towhich it is applied, said end being of sufficient length to extend at adownward inclination beneath the body of the user, so as to be heldthereby and to serve as a back rest. Preferably said convertible end andback rest is provided intermediate its ends with means for attachment tothe suspension members or to some other suitable part of the couchhammock at or adjacent the frame.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, I have indicated the sidemembers of the frame of the hammock at 1, 1 and the cross member thereofat 2. Obviously any suitable frame and seating for the hammock may beprovided. Any suitable hammock body may be employed. In Figs. 1, 2 and3, I have represented upstanding sides 3. At

the corners of the frame, I have represented chains 4t constitutingsuspension members. While preferably I employ chains, yet any suitablerope or chain-like member may be employed for the purpose. Preferably Iemploy a member having longitudinally spaced openings, and for thispurpose the chains represented arcbest adapted. These chains areconnected at their upper ends to any suitable ring or other suspensiondevices. In Figs. 1 and 2, I have represented a convertible end and backrest This end is of flexible sheet-like material, such as canvas, and isprovided at its upper end with a pocket 6 having therein a spreader 7,which at its ends is provided with T-shaped hooks 8 adapted to take,preferably detachably, into the desired links of the chains 4. By reasonof this construction, the sheet 5 may be arranged at any desired height.If desired, I may employ a pillow at the upper end of the sheet 5 asrepresented at 9 in Fig. 1. The sheet 5 is of sufficient length toextend to or beyond the hips of the user, and may be provided with apillow 10 to be positioned be yond the hips of the user, and by means ofwhich the sheet may be held firmly in position when the weight of thehammock occupant is resting thercagainst. It will be obvious that whenthe sheet 5 is in the position indicated in Fig. 1, it acts as a headand back rest.

In order that the sheet 5 may fulfil its function as a convertiblehammock end, I preferably provide it intermediate its ends with somesuitable means for connecting it to the suspension chains 4: or to someother suitable part of the hammock at or adjacent the end of the frame.Preferably for this purpose I provide a spreader 11 in a pocket or strapor transverse series of straps 12 at a suitable point intermediate theends of the sheet 5. I have represented a plurality of pockets or straps12 arranged at different heights along the sheet 5, permitting verticaladjustment of the spreader 11. The said spreader is provided withsuitable means for detachably engaging it with the desired links of thechains 4. To that end, I have here represented the spreader as having T-lower ends of the chains, and the portion of the sheet 5 extendingdownwardly beyond said spreader 11 is rolled up as a pillow at the endof the hammock. Adjacent the spreader 11 I may provide an intermediatepillow 13'.

It is to be understood that if desired both ends of the hammock may beprovided with the described convertible end and back rest.

In Fig. 3, I have shown a slightly modi lied form of the invention, theconstruction there illustrated differing only from that shown in Figs. 1and 2, in that I provide the sheet 5 with gromet eyes 1 1 for thereception of lacing 15, by which the edges of the sheet 5 may bedetachably connected to the lower ends of the chains 4:. Obviously thelower portion of the sheet 5 may, however, be detachably connected tothe frame itself or to the upstanding edges of the hammock body or evento the mattress.

In Figs. 4 and 5, I have illustrated still another form of my invention.Therein the sheet end 16, which may be somewhat narrower than thecorresponding sheet shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 8, is provided at its upperedge wit-h a transverse pocket having there in a spreader 17 providedwith T headed or other suitably shaped end hook-like members 18 toengage the desired links of the chains 19, substantially as shown inFigs. 1, 2 and 3 at any desired height. Mounted upon the hooks 18 ordirectly connected to the spreader 17 are suitable rope or chain-likemembers 20, which extend downwardly along the edges of the sheet 16 andare connected to the said edges at suitable intervals if desired bymeans of straps, so that said chains and sheet may assume the sameinclination or position. One such pair of straps I have indicated at21.. Others may be employed if desired. Upon the sheet 16, I provide apocket or strap or series of straps 22 similar, it may be, to thoserepresented in Fig. 1 and therein position a spreader 23 having longhooks 24 with cross heads 25, which may be inserted in the desired linksof the chains 20 as illustrated in Figs. a and 5. 1 may provide avertical plurality ofpockets or straps 22, as with Figs. 1 and 2,thereby permitting the vertical adjustment of the spreader 23 therein,and in the links of the chain 20. hen the sheet 16 is used as a hammockend, the hooks 2 l-are also engaged with the appropriate links of thechains 19, as described with reference to Figs. 1 and 2.

The lower ends or portions of the chains 20 may be unattached to theframe of the hammock, in which case the sheetend 16 may be providedwith. a hip pillow, but

preferably 1 provide means to connect the lower ends of the said chainswit-h the frame, the means employed depending upon the character of theframe. If the side members of the frame be of wood or be angle irons, Imay use hooks directly engaging therewith, but herein I have representedclamps 26 slidably adjustable along the side members 1 of the frame andwith which hooks 27 or terminal links of the chain may be connected.

I may provide a pillow or upholstering at the spreader 23, and above andbelow the said spreader the arrangement may be such as to provide slackin the sheet 16, into which the back of the hammock occupant may fit. Byadjustment of the clamps 26, the sheet 16 may be positioned at anyinclination, or the sheet may be positioned vertically at the end of thehammock.

The construction shown in Figs. & and 5 may be employed at one or bothends of the hammock.

In all the forms of my invention, the spreaders may be readily connectedwith and disconnected from the links of the chains with which they aredesigned to engage.

Having thus described one illustrative embodiment of my invention, Idesire it to be understood that although specific terms are employed,they are used in a generic and descriptive sense and not for purposes oflimitation, the scope of the invention being set forth in the followingclaims.

Claims.

1. A couch hammock comprising a seat and two suspension ends, one atleast of said ends consisting of suspension chain or ropelike membersdirectly connected to the corners of one end of the frame and also of asheet like member extensible between and adapted to be connected at itsupper end to said suspension members, means for con necting theintermediate portion of said sheet-like member, in upright position, tosaid suspe'i'ision member's adjacentthe corners of the frame, and othermeans, independent of the suspension members and cooperating with thesheet-like member below its upper end to vary the angularity of saidsheet-like member.

2. A couch hammock comprising a seat and two suspension ends, one atleast of said ends consisting of suspension chain or ropelike membersdirectly connected to the corners of one end of the frame and also of asheet-like member extensible between and adapted to be connected at itsupper end to said suspension members, and of sufficient length to extendfrom its point of support at a downward inclination, to the seat, at apoint substantially remote from said suspension members, and means formaintaining the intermediate portion of said sheetlike member in uprightposition adjacent the corners of the frame.

As a new article of manufacture, a combined couch hammock end and backrest CiK consisting of a flexible sheet having at its upper end meansfor attaching the same to rope or chain-like suspension members, thesaid sheet having other means for attachment to the hammock adjacent thecorners of the frame and being of suflicient length to extend at adownward incline to a point upon the seat of the couch hammockrelatively remote from its ends.

-i. A couch hammock consisting of a f 'ame having chain-like suspensionmembers at the corners thereof, and sheet-1ike ends each having itsupper portion provided with a transverse spreader connected to said sus'pension members, each of said ends being of sufficient length to extendat a downward incline to a point upon the seat of the couch hammockrelatively remote from its ends, and provided at a point intermediateits upper and lower ends with a transverse spreader having means fordetachably connecting its ends to the said suspension members adjacentthe corners of the frame.

A couch hammock havin a frame provided with rope or chain-1i (esuspension members at the corners thereof, and a sheetlike end havingits upper portion connected to said suspension members and of suflicientlength to extend at a downward incline to a point upon the seat of thecouch hammock relatively remote from its ends, said sheetlike end beingprovided at a point between its upper end and lower end with means fordetachably connecting said end to the end portions of the hammock, andalso having its lateral edges provided with rope or chainlike membersattachable to the frame of the hammock intermediate the ends thereof.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, inthe presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ISAAC E. PALMER.

\Vitnesses:

IRVING U. Townsnnn, ROBERT H. KAMMLER.

Gopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

